Wheeling Symphony kicks off Weirton festivities with annual performance
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WEIRTON - As with many years, the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra helped to kick off the Independence Day festivities in Weirton, Friday, with a performance at the Weirton Event Center.
"This is part of a larger series," explained Symphony Executive Director Marc Zyla, referring to the annual Celebrate America tour which takes the symphony to many parts of West Virginia leading up to the holiday.
Other planned performances in the tour included stops in Clarksburg and Canaan Valley. The symphony's traditional July 4 performance at Wheeling's Heritage Port was canceled because of weather.
Friday's performance had the symphony and members of the audience facing the heat, with temperatures in the mid 90's. The weather didn't falter the show, though, as the symphony, accompanied by vocalist Edward Washington II, provided renditions of various patriotic melodies, selections from popular culture, and a couple of original compositions.
"Up on stage, we are hot and happy," John Devlin, music director of the symphony.
Washington provided vocals on renditions of "God Bless America," America the Beautiful," "Be My Love," "Deep River," and, as has become tradition during the series, "Take Me Home, Country Roads."
"Forever Free," a piece by Kenneth Fuchs and commissioned by the Symphony in 2013, incorporates elements of "West Virginia Hills," noted Devlin.
The show concluded with a performance of "Stars and Stripes Forever," followed by the theme from "Star Wars," which led into a fireworks display provided by the City of Weirton.
The tour was done this year through the support of Expand Energy and WTOV-TV, along with several local sponsors arranged by the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"We would not be able to do it without their generous support," CVB Executive Director Rachel Keeney said.
Local support was provided by the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley, the Charles M. and Thelma M. Pugliese Charitable Foundation, Serra Village Retirement Community, WVU Medicine Weirton Medical Center, Form Energy, Hancock County Savings Bank, Starvaggi, Summer's Enterprise, Bulldog Rack Co., the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle, First Choice America Credit Union, Giometti Catering, Howard Hanna Mortimer Realty, James White Construction, Mountaineer Casino, Assure America, Cove Presbyterian Church, Linda Heilman, Mario's Restaurant, PS Marketing, the Rotary Club of Weirton Heights, United Bank, and Wine and Beverage Merchants.